Railway-switch.



Patented Aug. I, I899.

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T'. cuPEmAm RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Applicaticn filed June 5, 189B.)

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No. 629,955. 7 Patented Aug. 1, I899. T. COPEMAN.

RAILWAY SWiTCH.

(Application filed June 5. 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(I0 Model.)

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points.

THORN COPEMAN, OF EDGAR MILLS, TO JOSEPH WAITE RAl LWAY- PATENT OFFICE.

CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD OF. SAME PLACE.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,955, dated August1, 1899.

Application filed June 5, 1899. Serial No. 719,509. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THORN COPEMAN, a citizen of Canada, residing atEdgar Mills, in the county of Essex and Province of Ontario, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a railway-switch in which there areswitch-points supported vertically movable, one being depressed whilethe other is at the level of the fixed rails; and the invention consistsin the peculiar construction,arrangement,and operation of these switch-points, in combination with sliding bearing-blocks adapted to firmlysupport these points and carry them up and down in vertical guidebearings, all as more fully hereinafter described and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a diagram plan View of theswitch. Fig. 2 is an elevation taken in the vertical plane on line w :0,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation with the cover plate removed. Fig.4 is a detached perspective view of the sliding bearing-blocks with theswitchpoint shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a crosssection on line y y,Fig. 1.

A are the stationary rails of the main track.

13 are the stationary rails of the siding.

C are the switch-points, which are both presented in the same directionat the ends of the inner rails.

D are two sliding blocks below each switchpoint, provided with inclinedslots a, which terminate at their lower ends into horizontal ofisets a.E are bolts passing through these slots and supporting the sameslidingly in position.

F are rail-chairs supporting the outside rails in position upon the tiesT at the switch- G are filler-blocks secured to the rails adjacent tothe switch-point for the purpose of forming a vertical guide-bearingfor' the switch-point and its sliding bearing-bloeks on the outer side.

H is a cover-plate forming a vertical guidebearing for the switch-pointand its bearingblocks on the inside.

of the chairs Fof such height as required,

and to make the guide-bearings continuous upon both sides plates M aresecured below the rails.

The switch-point is preferably formed with a rabbet on its under side,which fits a corresponding rabbet formed onthe top of the bearing blocksin such manner that the switch-point is thereby supported against anyoutward displacement. The switch-block is also formed with guides N,which extend downwardly and engage underneath the bearing-blocks,whereby in the lowering of the bearing-blocks the latter will carry theswitchpoint with it. These guides engage into vertical guide-bearingsN,formed in the adjacent face of the cover-plate, and thereby guide theswitch-point in its vertical movement and also prevent its movementendwise.

The joint 0 between the adjacent ends of the rail and switch-point ismade diagonally, 8 5

preferably, so as to hold the switch-point against lateral displacementinward.

The bearing-blocks have overhanging shoulders P at their outer ends,which operate in connection with fixed bearings, such as thefastening-bolts Q, to support the ends of the bearing-blocks when thelatter are in their raised position, in which the weight of the trainbears upon them. In this position of the blocks the latter are furthersupported by means of the bolts E engaging into the horizontal oiisets aof the slots at. The coverplate extends with its ends beyond the bearing-blocks and is bolted to the rails. The

bearing-blocks and switch-point are thus firmly held and guided inposition and are housed on all sides, thus making attempts to tamperwith the switch much more dii'ficult than with those in present use. i

In operation it will be seen that by means of the usual connecting-rodM, which connects both of the actuating devices of the switchpoints, onepoint is raised while the other is dropped, and thus a passing train canbe directed at will to follow the main track or siding.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a railway-switch the combinationwith i the stationary rails of a main track and siding,

of vertically-movable switch-points in line with the inner rails at thejunction with the outer rails, one switch-point being depressed and theother at the level of the rails, a pair of sliding bearing-blockssupporting each switch-point and having inclined slots oppositelyinclined in the two blocks, stationary bolts passing transverselythrough these slots, toggles connecting the inner ends of each pair ofbearing-blocks together, and operative connection for actuating thetoggles in opposite directions by the movement of the switch-rod.

2. In a railway-switch,the combination with the stationary rails of amain track and siding, of vertically-movable switch-points in line withthe inner rails at the junction with the outer rails, one switch-pointbeing depressed and the other at the level of the rails, a pair ofsliding bearing-blocks supporting each switch-point and provided withinclined slots formed with horizontal offsets, toggle-levers connectingtheinner ends of each pair of bearing-blocks and adapted to move thesame in opposite directions, stationary bolts extending transverselythrough the slots in the bearing-blocks, means at the ends of saidbearingblocks adapted to support said ends when the blocks are in raisedposition and operative connection with the switch-rod for actuating thetoggles of the two pair of bearing-blocks in opposite directions.

8. In a railway-switch, the vertically-movable switch-points incombination with sliding bearing-blocks below the same and havinginclined guide-slots formed with horizontal offsets, bolts passingtransversely through these slots and supporting the bearing-blocksslidingly in position, and means for operating the bearing-blocks.

4. In arailway-switch,the combination with the stationary rails of amain and side track, of the vertically-movable switch-points O, thebearing blocks D having inclined slots a formed with horizontal offsetsa, the bolts E passing through said slots, the chairs F and cover-plateH in which said bolts are supported upon the ties, the vertical guides Nsecured to the switch-points and projecting beneath the bearing-blocks,the toggles J the bell-cranks K adapted to move said toggles in oppositedirections and the connecting-rod M for operating the same.

THORN COPEMAN.

Witnesses:

E. I. SoULLY, NORMAN McKEE.

